Final answer:
The measure of central tendency that utilizes the number at the middle position to indicate the center of the distribution is the median. It is best used when the data set contains outliers or extreme values, avoiding their influence on the measure, which is a limitation of the mean or average. The correct answer is B.
Step-by-step explanation:
When analyzing the center of a data distribution, we have several measures of central tendency. The measure that uses the number in the middle position is called the median. This is the value that divides the data set in half, with an equal number of data points above and below it. For example, in an ordered data set of 10; 11; 15; 15; 17; 22, the median would be the average of the two middle numbers 15 and 15, which is 15. The median is particularly useful in data sets with outliers or extreme values as it is not affected by the precise numerical values of these outliers, unlike the mean, which computes the arithmetic average.
The mode is another measure of central tendency, representing the most frequently occurring value(s) in a data set. A data set may be unimodal, bimodal, or even have multiple modes depending on the frequency of occurrence of the values.
The range, although not a measure of central tendency, provides information about the spread of the data. It is calculated as the difference between the highest and the lowest values in the data set. In the context of data analysis, especially when the data is symmetrical, the mean, median, and mode will be very similar if not equal, providing a central point for the data distribution. However, researchers must be cautious as the mean can be influenced by outliers, swaying the perception of the data's center.